I looked around at several of the posts about the D5000 and then I looked around the net at reviews vs the D90.

I am coming from a Fuji S5200 P&S camera. I already decided to take the Nikon road and got the 18-200 VR lens (even though it was listed as the second version it is the first one..not really a big deal though). I keep hesitating to get the D5000 for some reason and 2 nights ago my friend almost had me talked into getting a D90 instead. Price is somewhat of a factor since with the lens I pretty much already went over budget with either body I get. Are there really any major drawbacks of things I can't do with the D5000 instead of the D90? I already got my AF-S lens so I am not too worried about it not being able to AF with the older lenses. Since I don't know much about the SLR realm I thought I would ask for some input.

Welcome to the forum tcole. Have you tried handling both cameras in person? If so which did YOU like? Both cameras feature the same or very similar 12mp sensor. The only other big differences are the AF motor and the swivel screen.

I really like the swivel screen on the D5000. The D90 replacement will more than likely have such a screen too. It comes in handy. You already started with an AF-S lens so the auto focus motor in the D90 isn't that important to you. Since you said price is your greatest concern then go with the cheaper D5000.

I'll also go for d5000, played with one some time ago, and don't see too many differences between d5000 and d90, at least from the shooting point of view. and the swivel screen is really nice, especially when You need to shoot over head or from frog perspective. as for the pricing, there was a deal for d5000 on adorama some time ago, they were selling d5000 f(refurbished) for +/- $470

Welcome, tcole. I think the D5000 is a better choice. I know Niko's going to laugh at me because I recommend this lens to everyone, but if you're planning on using it inside I'd recommend saving up for an SB-600 and/or a 35mm f/1.8, which are really good to have for low-light situations.
I do love my D90, but if you're over budget the differences aren't anything to hurt your marriage over or anything. ;-)

Actually there is 2 huge differences... The taken for granted, all amazing sub command-dial and AF compatibility with older lenses (a plus for one on a budget)... The swivel screen can come in handy but from a photographers perspective it has little practicality over the sub command dial

I agree, the front dial is nice, but it isn't needed. I used a D50 as a backup last year, and to be honest it was only a pain if I was shooting in manual mode. Since I shoot in aperture priority 90% of the time, it wouldn't bother me to just have one dial.

As for AF motor, meh, I'm slowly ridding myself of AF-D and earlier lenses, most of them are slower to auto focus, not to mention the noise the body motor makes is annoying at best.

Thanks for the advice everyone. I will hopefully be able to pick the body up pretty soon and I did decide on the D5000 I think. I can always upgrade the body later. I tried to spend a little more on the lens and not get the standard kit lenses that are offered with the D5000.

jonnyapple said:
Welcome, tcole. I think the D5000 is a better choice. I know Niko's going to laugh at me because I recommend this lens to everyone, but if you're planning on using it inside I'd recommend saving up for an SB-600 and/or a 35mm f/1.8, which are really good to have for low-light situations.
I do love my D90, but if you're over budget the differences aren't anything to hurt your marriage over or anything. ;-)

I am going to wait on a prime and see what range I take my pictures in. I figured after I get comfortable with what range I am taking pictures in for different situations then I would look into the prime lenses. I however might get the flash anyway...just might have to wait until a birthday or somethin ;)

The D5000 is a great choice, it is just that my shooting style requires speed and flexibility which is why the extra dial is much more practical for me (and I only shoot manual because none of the other settings do what I want). But then again everyone's shooting styles are different and you should go with the one you are more comfortable with. For the record the sub command dial, camera size and weight, lcd size, menu setup, and Af compatibility are what turned me off at the D5000...

Well after looking around more I found what seemed like a pretty good deal on B&H. Got a refurbished D5000 body, appears to be refurbished 18-55mm kit lens (will probably sell it), 8GB memory card and Lowepro Nova 170 AW camera bag.

It was $574 with shipping, but I figure I might be able to sell the lens for about $100 and then I will only be out $460 or so...basically get the camera bag and memory card free.

I have no data to back me up, but I have the feeling (anecdotal) that the D5000 is slowly edging out the D90 in popularity. The swivel screen seems to be popular, although I rarely use mine except in the tucked in (normal) position. Its picture quality is the same as the D90, having the same sensor. With more and more people buying compatible AF lenses, the lack of in-camera AF isn't much of an issue. People are realizing that the D5000 isn't just a jumped up D40 or D60. I've had occasion to talk to people who have the D300 or D700 and they are all impressed with the D5000. It would be interesting to see Nikon data on sales tends for the two cameras (D90 vs D5000 that is). They are both excellent

The D5000 is more of a consumer, amateur, and fun camera which is better for most of it's buyers. The D90 is a low budget workhorse and shoots like one. While consumers love the light weight of the d5000 as opposed to the D90, many Pros on a budget like the weight of the the D90 over the D5000 because it handles better with large lenses and is easier to hold steady at low SS. Same with the grip. Many Pros (like me and my colleges as stated earlier) much prefer changing the Aperture and SS at the same time (on manual) than a flip screen which has no value for the job, while Hobbyists, consumers, amateurs, and Semi Pros don't manually finetune the shot to the point other pros and hobbyists do and would much rather use the flipscreen for those "over the crowd" shots. In fact although compatible with all F lenses the D90 does better with pro lenses and the D5000 with consumer lenses, in terms of size handling and features. Try using your 70-200mm f/2.8 VRII with a flipscreen on a D5000... and NO tripod!

I cannot recall exactly, but I remember them being very similar in terms of weight. The ergonomics are noticeably different, without a doubt. I've used a D80/D90/D50, which almost feel the same, but only held the D5000 for a few minutes at Best Buy, so I might not be the best judge of the difference.

It seems the most frequently-discussed topic in this forum seems to be the D90 vs. D5000 debate. I've been wanting to make the switch from P&S myself, and just pulled the trigger. Not that anyone probably cares, but I'm excited about my purchase and am going to tell you about it anyway. :)

I've been researching both for the past couple of months. On paper, the D90 obviously has more features, but since I'm just getting into SLR photography, I don't see myself needing the commander mode for a few years, and I'll probably be itching for the D99 by then. The different white balance adjustment chart thing on the D5000 is weird and honestly a bigger cause of concern, but hopefully I can get the hang of it after a while.

I think the best advice I had read on these forums in the debates is to try them out in the store with the same lens. The D5000 felt lighter and more comfortable in my hands. Since I'm getting a kit, I will miss the greater range of the lens on the D90, but my first lens purchase will probably be the 55-200mm that's out there.

I considered both the D90 and D5000 and ended up going with the D5000 after playing with them in a store. The D5000 felt lighter, and B&H has a fantastic refurb deal going on right now for a $515 kit that fits my budget perfectly. I can't wait to receive it!

From somebody who has the 5000, Jonny nails it above. I find the lack of a second command wheel a real pain for the same reasons he is saying. As for the size, I think it is easily possible to have a camera that is too small. If you are young, dexterous and use auto ranges and aperture or shutter priority, the D5000 is excellent.

If you want to cut a deal with me, I have a 500 click D5000 that I will sell you.....

Short D90 vs. D5000 specs:
• D90 has 3.0-inch 920,000 LCD monitor; D5000 2.7-inch 230,000
• D90 has shooting speed of 4.5 fps; D5000 4.0 fps
• D90 has illuminated top LCD; D5000 tilt–able LCD
• D90 has 94% pentaprism glass viewfinder, grid; D5000 Pentamirror 78%, no grid
• D90 has two command dials; D5000 one front command
• D90 has dedicated buttons for adjusting metering, exposure compensation, info and auto focus, D5000 dedicated buttons for exposure compensation and info
• D90 supports non CPU lenses in [A] or [M] mode with Matrix Metering; D5000 can be used in exposure mode M, but exposure meter does not function.
• D90 has built-in AF motor for older D lenses
• D90 has wireless lighting supported with built-in flash acting as "commander"
• D90 has auto FP High-Speed Sync with compatible external Nikon speedlights, repeating flash and modeling
• D90 has dedicated bracketing button on side of camera to activate
• D90 has DOF button
• D90 has MB-D80 vertical grip option
• D90 Fn button has more functions
All in all I prefer D90 for more and better controls and build quality, but I do like D5000 LCD movable screen though I prefer D90 LCD quality and resolution. Viewfinder is much better on D90 and for that reason alone I would get D90.
On the other hand if you can wait 4 to 6 months for D90 replacement it will most likely have tilt-able LCD screen with better IQ then current D90.